/ 1 October 2009

Israel frees Palestinian prisoner ahead of video swap

Israel has released one of 20 women prisoners due to be freed in return for a video of an Israeli soldier held in Gaza, officials said on Thursday.

Israel has released ahead of schedule one of the 20 women prisoners due to be freed in return for a video of an Israeli soldier held in Gaza, officials said on Thursday.

Bara Malki (15) was released late on Wednesday after a judge ordered her freed, a spokesperson for the Israeli Prison Authority told Agence France-Presse.

”A regular parole board hearing shortened her sentence … and the judge ordered her released,” the spokesperson said.

Speaking from her home in the Jalazun refugee camp outside the West Bank town of Ramallah, Malki told Agence France-Presse: ”My name was on the list [to be freed] … I’m happy that I’ve been released but the court released me because of my age.”

Malki was serving 11 months for attempted murder and an attack on a police officer, prison officials said.

On Friday, Israel is due to free 19 other women prisoners in return for a videotape of Gilad Shalit, a soldier seized by Gaza militants in June 2006.

The exchange, announced on Wednesday, marked a major breakthrough in nearly three years of on-again, off-again Egyptian-brokered negotiations between Israel and Hamas for an exchange. German mediators joined the talks in July. — AFP

 

AFP